The Strange Case of the Goddess Peitho: Classical Antecedents of Public Relations’ Ambivalence Toward Persuasion

ABSTRACT

Public relations scholars continue to debate “whether persuasion is a legitimate public relations function” (Edgett, 2002 Edgett, R. (2002). Toward an ethical framework for advocacy in public relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14, 1–26.[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar], p. 1). Their ambivalence toward persuasion has deep roots in the tangled lineage of Peitho, the Greek goddess of persuasion. The purpose of this article is to chart the goddess Peitho's contradictory history in classical Greek literature and art; and to study how the Greeks resolved that ambiguity. Ultimately, the Greeks determined that Peitho, at her best, was honest, respectful of others, and mindful of community wellbeing. The Greeks’ resolution of Peitho's nature ideally holds lessons for the troubled status of persuasion within modern public relations.     

Epidemiological Associations between Gambling Behavior, Substance Use & Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Objective To compare gambling behaviors in a random sample of community residents with and without mental disorders identified by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).Method A large national community survey conducted by Statistics Canada included questions about problems arising from gambling activities as per the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI). We compared respondents within three gambling severity categories (non-problem, low severity and moderate/high severity gambling) across three diagnostic groupings (mood/anxiety disorders, substance dependence/harmful alcohol use, no selected psychiatric disorder).Results Of the 14,934 respondents age 18–64 years who engaged in at least one type of gambling activity in the previous 12 months, 5.8% fell in the low severity gambling category while 2.9% fell in the moderate/high severity category. Females accounted for 51.7% of the sample. The risk of moderate/high severity gambling was 1.7 times higher in persons with mood or anxiety disorder compared to persons with no selected disorder. For persons with substance dependence or harmful alcohol use, the risk of moderate/high severity gambling was 2.9 times higher. Persons with both mood/anxiety and substance/alcohol disorders were five times more likely to be moderate/high severity gamblers. The odds ratio for females was 0.6 and for those with less than post-secondary education it was 1.52. Differences in age and personal income were not significant.Conclusions Individuals in the community suffering from mood/anxiety disorders and substance dependence/harmful alcohol, and especially those with both, experience a higher risk for gambling problems. The treatment of these comorbidities should be integrated into any problem gambling treatment program.Disclaimer: The data upon which of the analyses contained in this paper derive from surveys conducted by Statistics Canada. The opinions expressed in this paper do not represent the opinions of Statistics Canada.     

Calculating the cost of capital

One of the most important recent advances in corporate finance is the use of risk measures in setting discount rates or required rates of return for capital projects. An understanding of this area is of crucial importance to senior managers and corporate planners. This article explains how to calculate required rates of return using the modern approach to the cost of capital.     

Reliability of isokinetic and isometric knee-extensor force in older women

Because of the need for efficient, consistent strength measurements, the test-retest reliability of concentric, isometric, and eccentric strength; concentric work; and concentric power was determined in older women without a familiarization session. The reliability of measures derived from a single peak score were compared with those derived from an averaged score. On 2 occasions 25 older women with a mean age of 72 +/- 6 years performed 3 submaximal knee extensions and 5 maximal contractions on an isokinetic dynamometer at 90 degrees/s (CON), 0 degrees/s, and -90 degrees/s on both lower limbs. Statistical analyses for peak and averaged values (best 3 contractions of 5) exhibited good relative reliability (ICCs > .88), except for CON power. Typical error as a coefficient of variation and ratio limits of agreement for peak and averaged score values were larger than desired, with CON power scores demonstrating unacceptable error ranges. Although relative reliability of this 1-session assessment protocol was acceptable, further research is needed to determine whether additional practice trials could enhance absolute reliability.     

Development and Spanish translation of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS)

Barriers for enhanced detection, identification, and reporting of elder abuse include the paucity of appropriate, valid, easily administered screening tools. This article describes the qualitative methods used in the development of the Weinberg Center Risk and Abuse Prevention Screen (WC-RAPS), and of its Spanish version. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were instrumental in identifying problematic items, underscoring potential response errors, and informing about putative causes for divergent interpretations of item-intent. Seven of the 11 original items were modified, a double-barreled item was segregated into two, one item deleted, and three additional items included to create the final 13 WC-RAPS items. The multi-step approach implemented for the Spanish conversion evidenced deviation from the original intended meaning for one item. The readability for English and Spanish versions was also assessed. Screening for elder abuse, if implemented systematically can be instrumental in identifying unrecognized abuse and preventing reoccurrence.     

Widows and widowers in today's society

With the increasing life span in our society, the number of widowed individuals has increased dramatically. The loss of a spouse is one of the most stressful life events for both women and men, yet there is little nursing research on the physical and psychosocial needs of older adults who are experiencing this loss. Some studies suggest that widowed women and men develop significant physical and mental health problems and complicated grief. Thus, it is important for nurses to recognize the diversity of grieving experiences and the increased vulnerability of widowed individuals to psychiatric illnesses that may result in suffering and impairment of daily functioning. With a better understanding of these needs, nurses can provide interventions that help these individuals maintain their health and independence.     

Collective efficacy, family attachment, and urban adolescent suicide attempts

The suicide rate among American adolescents between the ages of 14-25 has dramatically increased during the last 50 years, and this fact has been the focus of extensive social-scientific investigation. To date, however, research focusing on the joint effects of mental health, family, and contextual-level predictors on adolescents' suicidal behaviors is scarce. Drawing on Durkheim's classic macro-level approach to suicide and collective efficacy theory, we use data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to examine the effect of informal social controls on adolescents' suicide attempts. Analyzing reports from 990 youth, we examine the hypothesis that neighborhood-level collective efficacy and family-level integration and social control independently affect suicide attempts. We also examine the extent to which they interact in their effects on suicidal behavior. Overall, results from multilevel logit models support the Durkheimian expectation that family attachment reduces the probability that adolescents will attempt suicide. The effect of collective efficacy is interactive in nature. Specifically, we find that collective efficacy significantly enhances the protective effect of family attachment and support on adolescent suicidal behaviors. We discuss findings within the context of social control theory.     

CONVERGENCE IN RELATION TO LEVEL OF SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT

A classic version of convergence theory was proposed by Marion Levy as part of his theory of modernization: If and as the level of modernization increases (defined as a higher ratio of reliance upon inanimate energy and tools relative to animate energy), the level of structural uniformity among relatively modernized societies continually increases. I test this hypothesis by using the coefficient of variation (V) as the measure of convergence. I analyze a wide range of variables: level of economic development, capitalist market economy, demographic variables, technology, the state and political democracy, cognitive modernization, health, income inequality and poverty, gender particularism–universalism, and information and communications. Each variable is treated as one test of the hypothesis. The hypothesis is first tested by dividing 201 societies into quartiles representing four levels of development as of 1990, and comparing their V scores at one point in time (around the year 2000). Full confirmation of the hypothesis is a monotonic decline in V scores as we move from the least to the most developed societies; this is observed in 19 out of 51, or 37 percent, of the tests. The second set of tests is a stricter, longitudinal test of the hypothesis. Among the 21 societies already developed in 1965, as their level of development continued to rise from 1965 to the present, they became more convergent in 32 out of 45, or 71 percent, of the tests. Thus, variation in social structure is greater among less modernized than among more modernized societies, and this has implications for theories of globalization.     

Psychiatric nursing & medication adherence

A survey was developed to determine whether the rapidly changing context of mental health care has significantly influenced how psychiatric nurses assess and intervene in issues related to medication adherence. A sample of 126 psychiatric nurses working in Veterans Affairs mental health treatment facilities in northern California, Hawaii, and Nevada identified the most effective methods for tracking medication adherence, as well as successful adherence interventions. Despite the challenge imposed by changing work environments, psychiatric nurses use creative and innovative approaches to improve their patients' medication adherence. Interventions for enhancing patient adherence with prescribed regimens are identified. Essential role dimensions related to medication adherence defined by the nurses in this survey included providing medication education, tracking patient adherence, assessing medication effectiveness, providing individualized, tailored adherence interventions, and collaborating with other health care providers in medication planning. Study findings support using nurses to their full potential and highlight nurses' need for more educational opportunities and consultation with experts (e.g., clinical pharmacists).